Exercise 6. Прочитайте отрывок из романа и выполните задания 1 – 7, выбирая букву A, B, C или D. Установите соответствие номера задания выбранному вами варианту ответа.
I wanted to find my niche. I wanted to
fit so badly with some group, any group in high school. Sports didn’t really
work for me. In fact, I dreaded those times in PE when the captains picked
teams. Fights sometimes happened between captains about who would have the
misfortune of ending up with me on their team. But one day, I saw a girl I
liked go into the marching band office to sign up. Okay, sure, the uniforms
looked stupid and being in the band didn’t exactly give you the best reputation
at school, but there was Jaclyn. I would later learn that many of the
greatest musicians of our time were motivated to music by some girl whose name
they most likely don’t remember anymore.
The first thing to learn was how to
hold the drum and play it. Holding the drum and playing it is not as easy as it
might look. I did, after several private lessons, learn the rhythm. Next, as if
that weren’t difficult enough, I had to learn how to play it while not only
walking, but marching. At the end of the summer, our uniforms arrived. The band
uniform is a sacred attire. It is not only carefully sized to fit the
individual, long-sleeved and hand sewn, acquired through a lot of fund raising
activities, and cleaned after each use. It is worn with pride. It is also 100
percent wool.
I forgot to mention something. In addition
to an inability to play sports, I was also not so good at marching. If you were
not in step, the band director would yell in a loud and embarrassingly annoyed
voice, “OUT OF STEP!” It was at that point that I began to question my decision
to join the band. How do playing music and marching around in silly formations,
all “in step”, go together?
The day of our first competition
finally arrived. Although it didn’t start until
Finally, they lined us all up and
off we went. I had had my coffee, so I marched and beat the rhythm out with all
my heart. Then, suddenly all my energy drained away. I began to feel sleepy and
I fell “OUT OF STEP.” No one noticed at first and I tried to skip back into
step. But nothing worked. Then I saw one of the band boosters talking to
another one and pointing at me. Then they motioned for me to leave the
formation. I walked over to them as the band marched on. They told me what I
already knew, I was “OUT OF STEP”, and would have to stay out of the formation
until the band passed the judging stand.
I couldn’t believe it. Now I had to
climb over the lawn chairs, popcorn and arms and legs of my fellow townspeople
for the next mile to keep up with the band, carrying my drum and wearing my
uniform. This was the most humiliating moment of my life.
1. When the narrator was in high
school he
A) wanted
badly to belong to some sports team.
B) looked
forward to PE classes.
C)
sometimes had fights with team captains picking teams.
D) longed
to have something in common with other students.
2. The reason why the narrator
decided to sign up for the band was his
A) dream to
become a musician.
B) wish to
get a better reputation.
C)
attraction to a girl.
D) liking
the band uniform.
3. “The band uniform is a sacred
attire” means it is
A)
carefully sized to fit the individual.
B)
long-sleeved hand sewn pure wool.
C) cleaned
after each use.
D) highly
respected and symbolic.
4. The narrator began to question
his decision to join the band because he
A) saw no
connection between playing music and marching.
B) suddenly
found out that he was not so good at marching.
C) had a
bad ear for music.
D) got
frightened by the yells of the band director.
5. The narrator had a cup of coffee
before marching because he
A)
sometimes liked to have some.
B) didn't
want to feel sleepy.
C) had got tired
of waiting.
D) liked
its bitter taste.
6. When the narrator fell “OUT OF
STEP” he
A) just
kept on marching.
B) expected
the band boosters to encourage him.
C) worked
hard to improve the situation.
D) looked
forward to leaving the formation.
7. When the narrator was told to
leave the formation he felt
A)
frightened that the band director would scold him.
B)
miserable because he knew he would be a laughing stock.
C) relieved
because he did not have to march any more.
D) happy
that he could join his fellow townspeople.